The Hunter
by shadewriter09
Summary: What if Percy lost against Luke? What if today the world is controlled by the Titans and the Gods are gone. Rebels are fighting but they are losing. There is only one hope for mankind. The answer lies within the stars.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.

A/N: Hello! This is my first story and I hope everyone can read it. Please, I encourage you to guide me on how to do this. Private message me or review. I want to become a better writer and I need critism. I'm actually not satisfied with this prologue. Tell me what would have made it a little better. Thank you.

The Hunter:

Prologue 

The night was silent except for the occasional howl of a hellhound. The moon was red and casted a blood-red glow across the courtyard. A figure stood silently on a tree. His sea-green eyes searched for enemies. When there wasn't any, he raised his hand. A second figure landed next to him.

"Are you sure you want this?" He whispered quietly.

The girl glared at him and nodded. "My lady needs me."

The man nodded. He understood what she was feeling. She needed them.

"Then let's go," He said. He unsheathed his sword and dropped down tree like a cat. Silently.

He crouched down and ran across the courtyard. The girl following closely behind him. He looked up. The castle would have been beautiful if it wasn't made up of human bones. He stopped and placed his back an inch away from the castle wall. He refused to come in contact to those bones. He continued to sidestep towards the corner of the back entrance.

He leaned his head slightly around the corner and quickly took a step back almost colliding with girl.

He raised his fingers to two showing the girl that they had two enemies guarding the back entrance.

He took out his bow and placed a black arrow. He aimed and shot. The arrow hit the hellhound in the neck and not too soon, another arrow hit the Cyclops in the eye. They both burst into yellow dust.

He moved quickly. He opened the metal door of the back entrance and waited for the girl to get in before closing it.

"Wait," the girl breathed out. "Something's not right." Her eyes narrowed as she observed the abandoned hallway.

A cold laugh vibrated through the hallway making the hairs on the back of the man's neck stand up and the girl to shiver unconsciously.

"Did you honestly think you could infiltrate my castle without me knowing?" The same voice said amusement clear in his voice.

The man gritted his teeth. They were careless and the whole world was condemned to eternal hell because of them. He unsheathed his bronze sword and said. "Come and face me then, you coward!"

The voice chuckled. "Now, why would I do that when I have an army of monsters." There was a snap of a finger and the walls crumbled revealing endless monsters ranging from Telekhines to Cyclopes.

The man cursed and asked the girl in a low voice. "Zoe, If you get any chance, run for it."

"What...?" The girl started when the man charged at the monsters. The girl cursed when she realized that he was distracting them so she could escape.

She unsheathed her silver hunting knives and ran the opposite way towards where they came from. She barely made it four feet when something hit her at the back.

The man fought bravely applying every experience he had into taking down as many as he could but in the end, he was overrun.

-

He woke up in a very uncomfortable position. He lifted his head. It was dark. He couldn't see anything. His arms were shackled above his head and he could already feel his arms began to numb meaning he had been unconscious for a long time.

The man grunted as he pulled the shackles that bound him to the wall. It was useless.

"Hello?" Zoe's voice called out. "Who's there?"

"It's me," the man grunted as he tried once more. It didn't budge.

"Where are you?" Zoe asked.

The man cursed softly. "I can't see anything."

"Hold on," was the Zoe's reply.

A few seconds later, a light burst through. The light casting a shadow on his face. Only now did Zoe notice how sunken and defeated his eyes were. His brown hair was disheveled like he had ran his hands through it many times. The man eyed the light stick. "Where did you get that?"

Zoe rolled her eyes. "I'm always prepared."

Then he noticed something. "Why aren't you shackled like me?"

Zoe lifted one of her legs and the man saw it. She was shackled to the ground.

The man cursed and looked around. They were placed in a windowless cell. The walls were made from stones and water dripped along the wall. The only way out was a single metal door.

"What are we-" Zoe started but stopped short when the metal door burst open revealing a tall blonde guy.

"Luke Castellan," Zoe hissed, her dark eyes narrowed angrily.

"So, you are Kronos' vessel?" The shackled man spoke up.

The man, Luke, chuckled coldly. "My name is no longer Luke. It is Kronos." He raised his head revealing gold eyes. "When I had assumed my form, I had to choose an image, and what better image, than the image of the demigod who betrayed Olympus," he smirked. "I do love ironies. Your life did lived in irony, right, Orion?"

The shackled man glared at Kronos.

"You must be searching for Artemis," Kronos continued, but still Orion didn't reply. "Why would you search for the woman, who put an arrow through your heart, figuratively and physically speaking, of course."

"You bastard," Orion said quietly, his sea-green eyes blazing.

Kronos laughed, his voice like a nail scraping against a black board.

He smiled sadistically. "Normally, I would kill rebellions without a second thought, but I have plans for you, Orion."

"Go to Tartarus!" Orion snarled, his arms straining against the shackles as he tried to get his hands around Kronos.

Kronos frowned as he watched the shackles strain to hold him. "You're more powerful than a normal demigod," he noted. "Which brings me curious question. Why are you not with the stars?"

Orion didn't reply.

Smirking, Kronos snapped his fingers and two cyclops appeared behind him. He motioned his hands at Orion. "Get him to my office," he ordered and left.

Violently and abruptly, the cyclops removed the chains that bounded him. He held out his hand just in time to stop him from face planting on the ground. He didn't have anytime to compose himself as the two cyclopes hauled him to his feet nearly dislocating his shoulders and they dragged him towards the door. The last thing he heard before the door closed was Zoe's voice calling out his name.


	2. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.

The Hunter:

Chapter One

"Wake up!" A harsh voice demanded. A second later, he was hit with freezing water.

He gasped as the freezing water hit him and he shivered violently. He was supposed to stay dry unless he willed himself to get wet. It was part of being a son of Poseidon.

"Funny, isn't it?" Luke said his voice full of amusement. Orion's eyes snapped at him. He was holding a bucket. "A son of Poseidon getting tortured by the very thing his father domains over." He paused. "Or rather had domain over." He chucked the bucket away. "Like I said your life is very ironic."

Orion gritted his teeth but refrained from replying. It would only amuse him.

"Still not talking, huh?" Luke commented. "Fine, have it your way." He snapped his finger and a chair materialized in front of him. He placed his hands on the headrest of the chair and regarded Orion with a cold calculating look. "I want to know only one thing," he started. "Who sent you?"

Orion met his eyes evenly. He frowned and waved his hand in the air. A sharp knife appeared in his hand.

"Let's start things nice and slow," Luke said. "We wouldn't want you to go into shock, now would we?"

He brought the knife to Orion's chest and slowly applied pressure. Orion closed his eyes in slight pain. He had endured something like these years ago but it still didn't make him feel any better.

"Orion," a voice whispered urgently.

He stirred.

"Orion, wake up," that same voice whispered and he felt someone shaking him. His eyes slowly opened and met a pair of silver eyes. His eyes widened in surprise and he jolted his head banged against the wall. Pain danced in his eyes but he ignored it. His eyes stared at a young woman.

"Orion," she whispered her hand reached up and cupped his face. He winced at the familiarity. "I'm here." She said her voice sounded angelic to his ears. He could feel tears forming in his eyes. It was too good to be true.

"I'm going to free you," she whispered and he nodded unable to speak. A second later, there was a snap and the chains that once held him broke. He collapsed on his knees and she caught him before he face planted the cold floor.

"We have to go," she slung his arms over her shoulders and led him out. Cold night wind swept his sweating body and he shivered.

"Before we go, I need to know where we should go," she said. "Who helped you?"

Orion's mind was fuzzy and he was dead to his feet. A feeling in his gut told him not to tell her. But he loved her and she loved him. She would never betray him. Still, his instinct screamed at him not to tell her and his instinct saved more than a dozen times.

"Orion?" She prodded.

"Where's Zoe?" He asked instead, his voice slightly slurred.

She shot him a sideways glance. "I'll come back for her."

Suddenly, Orion stopped short and pushed her away albeit weakly but it did the job. She staggered backward and composed herself.

"Orion," she started.

Orion pointed an accusing finger at her and he glared. "You are not Lady Artemis."

She took a step closer and tried to laugh it off. "You're a little tired. I mean, you were tortured. You must not be in your right mind, right now."

"Lady Artemis would never leave a hunter behind," he took another step back almost tripping. "It's either you're an imposter or you're not the woman I have fallen in love with."

"But-" she started but was cut off by a cold familiar laugh.

"Enough, the jig is up," Luke said suddenly appearing beside the Artemis imposter. He snapped his finger and the fake Artemis turned into an Empousa. He snapped his finger again and a hoard of monsters appeared on both sides of Orion. "Tie him up and return him to his cell."

Orion's face was emotionless as he held out his hands. Luke raised an eyebrow. "I thought hunters aren't supposed to go down without a fight?"

Orion shook his head. "Those are Ares's children. A hunter seizes an opportunity when he sees one but this," he gestured at the opening. "Isn't an opportunity."

"You should tell him the truth," his cellmate said. After a few days of torture, he was transferred to a new cell so he could recover from his wounds. "You're only delaying what is inevitable."

With his eyes closed, Orion said. "I don't sell my own comrades."

The man snorted. "That was what I used to think until he had the Titan of Memory sort through my mind," he said disgustedly. "There's nothing worse than someone invading your mind."

"Tell me about it," Orion agreed.

"Good thing, my comrades managed to moved out before the base was seized," Jason continued. "Now, I don't even know where they could possibly be."

Orion cracked open one eye and regarded the savage looking man. His electric blue eyes looked defeated and his blonde hair was long and he had a beard growing. He reminded Orion of Hercules. "Son of Zeus?"

The man nodded. "Jason Grace," he introduced. "I would say nice to meet you but," he shrugged not finishing the sentence as if he had no energy left.

"Orion," Orion felt he had to introduce himself.

Jason nodded. "I know," he said. "You've been the talk of the rebellion for days."

Orion asked. "Rebellion?"

Jason nodded again. "Yeah, I was one of their leaders before I got captured."

Orion hesitated. His mouth itched to ask the question he had been wondering for so long. "Was she there?"

"Who?" Jason asked confused.

Orion sighed and repeated patiently. "Was Artemis part of your group?"

Jason shot him one suspicious look before nodding. "Yes."

Orion let out a breath of relief. "Good, she's safe," he muttered.

Jason shot him another suspicious look. "Why do you care about Artemis?"

Orion furrowed his eyebrow. "Kid, do you know who I am?"

Jason scrunched up his eyebrows. "You just said you're Orion."

Orion frowned. "I am Orion, the hunter, as in the guy that was once in the stars."

"Orion?" Jason choked. "The guy who Artemis accidentally killed?"

Orion scowled. "Yes, I am him."

Jason gaped. "Whoa..."

Orion stared at him and muttered. "So, that's why she didn't try to find me. She assumed I was another demigod bearing a similar name."

Jason shut his mouth and asked. "Hold on, I thought you were in the stars."

"I was brought back," he smiled bitterly.

"By whom?" Jason asked curiously.

"I can't say," Orion shook his head. "The walls are listening."

Just then, the door opened and a cyclops came in. He grinned showing its gap front teeth. "Time for one of your sessions," he clapped his hands gleefully and roughly grabbed Orion.

-

"Annabeth," a voice called. The blonde haired woman raised her head from the blueprint she had been reading.

"Yes, Thalia?" She responded.

The immortal teen regarded her best friend. "You've been going over that for hours. You should rest," she said. "We don't want you to pass out in the middle of the war.

Annabeth sighed tiredly and rubbed her bloodshot eyes. "I don't know what to do," she confessed. "I feel like the world is going to end if I close my eyes."

Thalia opened her mouth to say something when someone burst in. "We found him," the boy barely twelve said.

"Jason?" Thalia asked sharply. "You found him?"

The boy looked at Thalia and took a step back just a precaution. "No, uh... We found where he was being held captive."

"Where?"

The boy looked solemn. "Mount Tam."

Thalia clenched her hands into a fist. "Go," she ordered the boy with barely controlled emotion. The boy nodded and quickly went away.

"We have to get him," Thalia said after a few seconds of silence.

Annabeth's eyes looked remorseful. "Oh, Thalia," she said. "There's a huge possibility he's dead."

Thalia shook her head and a few tears leaked out. "Nico told me he's still alive."

Annabeth bit her lips. Hades doesn't control the Underworld anymore. There was no way Nico could still sense death. She opened her mouth to mention this to Thalia but stopped when she met her eyes. It used to look defeated. It still was but there was a slight difference.

Hope.

There was no more hope in the eyes of the rebels and she had agreed. But now, seeing it in her best friend's eyes, she couldn't bear it if she was the one who destroyed her hope. That was Kronos' job.

Annabeth sighed. "I'll formulate a plan," she said. "Meanwhile, you tell the others that we are going on a rescue mission." 


End file.
